Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-07-22
AGRICULTURAL.
Devoted to the Interests Of Farmers
and Stockmen.


Among intelligent farmers who ex'
ercise considerable care in storing theif
manure there are some singular preju
dices prevailing regarding the value
and use OF manure. Many farmer
would think he was wasting both time
and material were he To spread and
plough in manure that was not prop
erly '.rotted." That such an opinion
should be prevalent is not surprising.
Take pound for pound and rotted man
ure will produce far more satisfactory
and speedy results than unrottei. But
this is not the only matter to be con-
sidered A pound Of green manure
will not make a pound OF manure that
is well rotted. Rotted manure is Sim
ply green manure considerably con.
centrated and in a high state OF pre-
paration. II this were all it would not
matter much whether the manure was
used in rotted or unrotted condition
but this is not all. While the manure
has been rotting much Of it's value has
been dissipated in the fermentive pro.
cess, while that which remains is in
such condition as to yield nearly all Of
its plant food to the first crop that fol-
lows its application. On tho other
hand, unrotted or unfermented ma
nure, when once plowed under, not
only yields all tho ingredients that
make up the more highly prepared and
concentrated article, but much more
beside. All the volatile portion which
is driven off in the process OF fer
mentation is now given to the land
The process ofrotting progresses slowly
but with thoroughness, and not par
ticle Of available plant food is allowed
to escape.
OF course there are crops in which
limited Use OF rotted manure is found
IN practice TO be necessary for the sue
cessful cultivation of certain crops.
Thus, says well-known writer, the
turnip, the carrot and the beet, which
are sown in the early part OF summer,
require that the manure applied shall
be in such state OF decomposition as
to act upon and nourish them in the
first stages of their growth, and if this
be not so the crop may entirely fail.
In these and similar cases accordingly
complete preparation of the farm
yard dung is an essential point of prae-
ice. Certain plants, again, do not re.
luire the same state OF decomposition
If the dung. Thus, the potato re-
iuires less in the first stages of its
growth than the turnip, and hence it
= not necessary to subject the manure
10 be applied to the came degree of fer
But since guano, bone dust and other
portable manures became available for
turnip and other crops that require
immediate manurial action, it has been
a we'll established rule that farmyard
manure had better be used before it
has lost any Of its iertilizing constit.
uents, and that when kept for any
length OF time Gas in practice it must
be) it should be preserved as much as
possible in the condition as when It
was taken from the stables, COW stalls
and piggeries.
The common practice Of carrying
dung and litter daily from the various
farm buildings to IN open pit occa.
slons the less OF a considerable portion
Of its most valuable elements, and pro-
duces other chemical changes than
those which contribute to fertilization